Which of the following statements about viral spikes is false?

• A. Viral spikes are found on both enveloped and non-enveloped viruses.
• B. Viral spikes are involved in the attachment of the virus to host cell receptors.
• C. Viral spikes can be recognized by the host immune system.
• D. Viral spikes are glycoprotein structures that protrude from the surface of some viruses.

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand what viral spikes are. Viral spikes are glycoprotein structures that protrude from the surface of some viruses and play a key role in virus-host interactions.
2. Step 2: Recall that viral spikes are primarily found on enveloped viruses because they are embedded in the viral envelope, which is derived from the host cell membrane.
3. Step 3: Recognize that non-enveloped viruses lack a lipid envelope, so they do not have viral spikes in the same way enveloped viruses do; instead, they may have other surface proteins but not spikes embedded in an envelope.
4. Step 4: Review the functions of viral spikes: they mediate attachment to host cell receptors and can be recognized by the host immune system, triggering immune responses.
5. Step 5: Based on these points, identify the false statement by comparing each option to the known characteristics of viral spikes, focusing on their presence or absence in enveloped versus non-enveloped viruses.